


it's not christmas 'til you come home.

by porcelainsimplicity



Series: christmas stories [19]
Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Advent Challenge, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Christmas, M/M, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-19 23:29:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17011221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/porcelainsimplicity/pseuds/porcelainsimplicity
Summary: I won't believe it's ChristmasTill you make it home to meThe snow isn't white, the stars aren't brightAnd lights don't belong on the treeI will stay up all night waitingFor you on Christmas EveThe sleigh bells won't ringBing Crosby won't singIt's not Christmas 'til you come homeor:  John's supposed to spend Christmas at the mansion with Bobby but circumstances delay his arrival.





	it's not christmas 'til you come home.

**Author's Note:**

> Day 16 Prompt: Someone resorts to desperate measures to get home for Christmas.
> 
> Day 16 title song: It's Not Christmas 'Til You Come Home by Norah Jones
> 
> FYI this is canon divergent in a there was no beach divorce kind of way.

Bobby Drake was an absolute motherfucking idiot. Or at least that's what he kept telling himself as the hours went by. He had actually been counting on John keeping his word, actually believed that John was going to come back to the mansion for Christmas, actually felt like whatever it was that was building between the two of them was going to go somewhere. But it was six o'clock on Christmas Eve, John was supposed to have been there hours ago, and he wasn't answering his phone either. Just like he knew he should have been this entire time, Bobby was disappointed, and he knew he should have been disappointed because about the only thing that John was good at was disappointing him. He didn't want to participate in the Christmas Eve activities, made up some stupid bullshit excuse about not feeling the greatest, and escaped up to his room. He was not going to think about John Allerdyce any more than he already had.

John Allerdyce was an absolute motherfucking idiot. Or at least that's what he kept telling himself as the hours went by. He'd left the city early that morning to head to Westchester, but when the traffic came to an absolute halt about half an hour out of the city, he'd become impatient. He was supposed to be spending Christmas at the mansion with Bobby, supposed to let him know that he felt that what they were building between them was real, supposed to let him know that he'd taken up the Professor's offer to return to the school as a teacher as soon as he graduated after next semester. But it was six o'clock on Christmas Eve, John was supposed to have been at the mansion hours ago, and instead of being there he was on some sort of back road somewhere around Danbury, Connecticut if the signs were to be believed, and he was unable to call because his phone was completely dead. John was disappointed, just like he was sure Bobby was, and he knew that was a terribly awful thing because he felt like the only thing he was good at was disappointing Bobby, and he really didn't want to disappoint Bobby any more. He wanted to be there to participate in the Christmas Eve activities that he'd never actually admit that he'd enjoyed as a student, go back to Bobby's room, and just sleep in the same bed as him for once. But to do that he had to figure out where he was, so he was just not going to think about Bobby Drake anymore than he already had.

It was nearly midnight by the time that John managed to find his way to the mansion, and when he approached the front door, he found it locked. Of course it was locked. There was no way that anyone would have stayed up waiting for him because he was Mr. Unreliable, the one that no one could count on for anything, and despite the fact that he'd been trying desperately to change that perception of himself now that he'd grown up a little, he didn't blame anyone for feeling that way. So now it was nearly Christmas Day and he should have been there hours ago and it didn't matter that they'd closed the fucking highway because of some gigantic multi-car accident, something he'd only found out once he'd decided to listen to a local radio station, all that mattered was that he'd disappointed absolutely everyone once again, but especially Bobby, and fuck, he hated himself for doing shit like that. He knocked on the door several times but no one answered, and he let out a frustrated scream. He reached for his phone before he remembered it was dead and collapsed down onto the ground in front of the door, pulling his jacket tighter around his body as he watched snow start to fall. It was going to be a tremendously cold night if the weather forecast from the local radio station had been anywhere close to correct, but John wasn't going to move until someone opened that door and let him inside. He hadn't gone through everything he'd gone through to get there just to leave.

**********

Erik opened the front door and took one look at John before sighing heavily. He was clearly unconscious and Erik quickly floated John's suitcase inside before bending down and picking the younger man up, carrying him across the threshold and putting him down next to the stairs. John was absolutely freezing, had quite clearly been out there for hours, and Erik quickly shut the door and closed his eyes, praying that Charles was listening to him at that moment.

Charles came into the entry a few moments later with a thick blanket and a concerned look, and Erik just pointed at John before grabbing the blanket from his arms. Charles took one look at how pale John was before telling for Erik to follow him, and Erik wrapped the blanket around John and picked him up again. He followed Charles into the elevator, wasn't that surprised when he punched in the code for downstairs, and headed towards the infirmary before Charles could say a word once they were down there. He laid John down on a bed and turned to ask Charles what they should do next when Jean came walking in, still blinking sleep out of her eyes. She took one look at John before starting to give orders, and then Erik was stripping the freezing, wet clothes from John's body and Charles was collecting warming blankets and Jean was hooking him up to monitors.

It didn't take long for Jean to start sighing in relief when she looked at the numbers, and she turned to them. “How long was he out there?”

“No idea,” Erik said. “I just found him when I went to get the papers.”

Charles studied John for a moment before sighing. “Midnight. He's been out there since midnight.”

“Then I'm going to say that he's very lucky,” Jean said, running a hand along his cheek. “He's naturally warmer than everyone else because of his powers. That's probably the only reason he's not in more danger at the moment.”

“How bad is it?” Erik asked, and Jean started examining John's hands. 

“I'm pretty sure hypothermia hasn't set in, just by looking at him,” Jean said, shaking her head. “I'd say again that was because of his powers. It wasn't above zero degrees last night according to the weatherman this morning.”

“Why didn't he just let us know he was here?” Erik said, shaking his head. 

“He tried,” Charles said, still studying him. “His knocks on the door went unanswered and his phone had been dead for hours. That's why he hadn't called previous to that.”

“Where was he?” Jean asked, brushing some hair from his eyes. “Bobby was so upset last night when he wasn't here.”

“The accident on the highway,” Charles said after a moment. “He tried to bypass it and got lost on the back roads.”

Erik sighed. “He was doing everything he could to get here.”

Charles just nodded. “He understands the importance of this Christmas far more than I think Bobby gives him credit for. John has grown considerably since he left the mansion. He's much more of an adult than anyone, including myself, gives him credit for.”

“Someone should go tell Bobby that he's here,” Jean said. “He deserves to know.”

“I'll take care of that,” Charles said, heading towards the door. “Erik, if you could please go start monitoring the children. They'll be up and headed towards the tree soon.”

“Of course,” Erik said, following him. “I just hope John wakes up soon and can be part of it.”

“I'm not sure he'll be up for that today,” Jean added. “But he should wake up once he gets warmed up, I think. I'll keep him monitored.”

**********

John blinked his eyes open and found himself staring at a white ceiling, and he immediately wondered where he was. The last thing he remembered was sitting in front of the door and being absolutely freezing. He closed his eyes as he tried to remember what had happened, opening them back up again when he realized he had no clue. He glanced to his left and saw a bunch of machines, so he guessed he was in the infirmary downstairs, but he had no idea why or how he'd ended up there. He glanced to his right and saw nothing but the empty bed next to his, and he sighed heavily. Of course he was alone.

He felt a presence on his left a moment later and turned to see Jean peering down at him, a soft smile on her face. “Jean.”

“Welcome home, John,” Jean said. “We were pretty worried about you this morning.”

“What happened?”

“What happened is that you nearly froze to death outside,” Jean said. “I think the only reason hypothermia didn't set in is because of your powers. It was terribly frigid last night.”

“I know,” John murmured. “I've never been that cold in my life.”

“I don't doubt that,” Jean said, turning to look at the machines when one started to beep. “I don't know what possessed you to sit in front of the door but it was a pretty stupid decision.”

“Perhaps. But I'd just gone through hell to get here. I wasn't about to just give up. Probably stupid of me to think it would have changed anything though.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I disappointed him again. All I'm good for is disappointing him. I don't know why he even has anything to do with me.”

Jean just shook her head. “You know very well why he has something to do with you. It's been the same reason since the day you arrived here when you were a kid.”

“I don't know about that.”

Jean sighed and turned to look when she heard the door open. “I'll be back in a few minutes.”

“Alright.” John let his eyes close until he heard someone approach the bed again, opening them not to see Jean but Bobby. “Hi.”

“I could fucking kill you right now,” Bobby said firmly. “I hope you know that.”

John groaned. “I know, I'm sorry. I tried to get here in time, I really did. I just fucking suck at directions and my phone died an—” 

“I am not talking about that,” Bobby said, cutting him off. “I am talking about the fact that you nearly got yourself killed.”

“It wasn't that bad.”

“You didn't see yourself this morning,” Bobby said seriously. “It was that bad.”

John sighed. “Fine. I'm sorry. I certainly wasn't trying to do that.”

Bobby stared at him for a moment before reaching out and tangling their fingers together. “I was terrified when the Professor brought me down here this morning. I've never felt you so cold.”

“I don't think I've ever been that cold,” John laughed. “All I remember was that I was fucking freezing.”

“Johnny,” Bobby started, but John just shook his head.

“I'm so sorry, Bobby. I really wanted this Christmas to be special.”

“It was going to be,” Bobby said, pausing. “I thought you didn't want this and were too chickenshit to tell me.”

“No,” John said softly. “I want it more than anything.”

Bobby took a deep breath. “I was thinking that I should probably come to the city more often. I can get someone else to take over my duties on the weekends and I cou—” 

It was John's turn to cut him off. “I'm moving back here, Bobby. As soon as graduation is over.”

Bobby blinked a couple of times. “What?”

“The Professor asked me if I would come back to the school and teach for him once I graduated. And that's what I decided to do.”

“What?”

“I don't want to live in the city anymore, Bobby. I want to be wherever you are.”

Bobby stared at him for a moment. “Really?”

John nodded. “This wasn't how I wanted to tell you, but I love you, Bobby. I never want to be away from you again.”

“Seriously?”

“It's too soon, I know, but I just...”

“It's not too soon,” Bobby said quickly. “It's definitely not too soon.”

John went to say something but instead found himself caught in a kiss, and he sighed happily as Bobby's lips gently massaged his own. Bobby pulled back after a moment and looked down at John with so much love radiating out of his eyes that John felt his breath catch in his throat. “Bobby.”

“I love you too,” Bobby breathed out. “And I really wanted to tell you that today. I just thought I wasn't going to get a chance to.”

John smiled and reached out to trace his fingers down Bobby's face. “I'm glad you got to say it then.”

“Me too,” Bobby said, pulling up a chair and sitting down. “I'm going to stay here for the rest of the day.”

“You don't have to do that. Go enjoy Christmas.”

“I planned on spending Christmas with you so that's what I'm going to do,” Bobby said firmly. “Besides, the sugar high has kicked in for the kids and I'd really rather stay far away from that craziness.”

John laughed. “I suppose I'm going to have to get used to that sort of thing, aren't I?”

“Yeah, you are,” Bobby said, smiling at him. “But you'll get used to it.”

“So long as you're next to me, I'm pretty sure it'll be alright.”

“It better be.”


End file.
